Hey there everyone! I'm (finally) back with a new chapter for you all. And though it's not the longest, it's full of Casey-family cuteness, so I hope you all enjoy it!

At this point, I know you all pretty much understand my current situation, and how I don't have a lot of free time right now, but I'm still very very sorry for how sporadic my updates have been as of late. I just don't have any time to do anything, except sleep and work. I think this past month I've only had three days off of work, which as you've noticed has severely impacted my ability to get any writing done. But I am trying my very best to keep these stories going, and get chapters posted for you all. I'm just sorry I'm not able to be as consistent as I once was, it really does make me sad. Because I love these stories, and I love Dawsey and this version of them that we never got to see. But I'm still here, and still wanting to continue and finish these stories for you guys. And hopefully I'll be able to do that.

But for now, I hope you guys enjoy this little update, and that you have a great rest of your week. I'll see you next time!

***UPDATE 4/27: Hey guys, just wanted to check in with you all a little bit. I had planned to update this story today, but then got called into work before I had time to write anything so I won't be able to get something posted this week. But I am determined to get an update out next week, so be on the lookout for that. Past that, I more so just wanted to stop in real quick to let you all know that I haven't abandoned these stories or my writing, I'm still desperately trying to find time to write, it's just not so easy to come by right now. Nothing in my current situation has really changed but I'm still doing my best to continue my writing, and as long as everything goes as planned I will have an update for you all next week. I hope you guys are doing well and having a good week, and I'll see you all soon!

Chapter Two Hundred and Seven

"Chicken… check. Broccoli, check. Toothpaste, toilet paper… check, check." Matt spoke to himself while he stood off in an aisle in the department store, the man scrolling through the list on his phone that Gabby had sent him. He'd been here for a little over half an hour now, trying to gather up the essentials as quickly as possible in order to get back home to his family. But given how he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything, along with the extra items he'd been finding along the way, he had certainly been here a little longer than initially planned.

Though he didn't mind it too much, as Matt would rather take a little extra time now and stock up on some things they needed at home, than have to have Gabby go out and get them next week when she'd be on her own with the girls, while he'd be out on state for his conference.

In the back of his mind, Casey knew that wasn't entirely true. That, at no point during his work trip, would Gabby ever actually be left by herself to take care of their girls, as between Ramon and Camila, Jemma, and his own mother- who had decided to extend her visit, Matt knew both Gabby and their daughters would be well taken care of while he was away. But regardless, he still wanted to do as much as he could for them before leaving next week.

"Okay, I've gotten all that.. Yup, yup." He continued while scrolling through the list, before something he had missed caught his eye. "Oh- baby wipes. Can't forget those." He said, though no one was around to listen, Casey locking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket before making his way towards the baby section of the store.

Given the time of day the building wasn't too crowded, Matt silently thankful for that while he navigated his way to the correct location, it only taking him a minute or two before he was directly in front of the items he was looking for. There were multiple different choices of baby wipes, but given the self-imposed time restraint he was working under Matt stuck to their usual brand of choice, the father picking up a couple boxes and placing it into the cart before looking further down the aisle, where he saw stacks and stacks of diapers.

Instinctively his body started to move closer, the sight bringing a smile to his face as even though just a few short months ago there had been a point where he and Gabby never thought they'd need these again, now they would be needing many of them in the upcoming years. And Matt couldn't have been happier about that, the grin on his face growing before he reached out to grab ahold of a box of newborn diapers.

"Guess a few more of these couldn't hurt." He murmured to himself while placing them down beside the wipes, the smirk never leaving his face before he continued to look around the baby section. "...And I guess I could look at a few things for Lily while I'm here."

Just as the soft words came from his lips he felt his phone begin to buzz in his pocket, Matt wasting no time in pulling the device out to see his wife calling him, her name enough to bring that feeling of warmth to his chest before he answered her call.

"Hey baby." He greeted after placing the phone up to his ear, hearing her take a few breaths before she responded.

"Hi babe." She spoke back, the light tone in her voice combined with the sound of children's music playing in the background telling Matt that his family probably hadn't gone very far from their spots in the living room that they'd been in when he left. "You still at the store?"

"Mhmm, I'm here. Almost done I think… I've gotten everything on the list, and a few extras that I think will make things a little easier on you while I'm gone." He told her, his eyes continuing to move across the diapers while he spoke. "...You think I should get another box of pull-ups for Sof while I'm here?"

"It couldn't hurt." She answered back softly, Matt nodding before he reached out to grab the correct size for their daughter. "We have enough right now, and should be able to get by while you're gone. But just in case."

"Sounds good, I'll grab them." He said, balancing the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he organized a few things inside the cart, making it easier to fit everything they needed.

"And you don't need to worry, you know." She added on somewhat randomly, Matt's brows furrowing as his weight shifted between his feet.

"Hmm?"

"About us while you're gone… You don't need to worry." She tried again, Casey unable to then stop the smirk forming over his lips.

"Babe… You know that won't stop me from worrying." He reminded her, hearing her laugh softly in response. "And seeing as how I'm about to leave my very pregnant wife, and our girls, while I have to go hours away… I'm gonna worry about that. While also making sure to buy you extra snacks while I'm here."

The sound of Gabby's laughter continued to filter through the phone until she eventually spoke up. "Well, you know I'll never complain about extra snacks. But really Matt, we'll be fine… We'll miss you, but be fine."

Casey let out a soft sigh, the smile slowly leaving his face before he nodded. "...I know you will be. But I might get an extra box of pull-ups just in case." He joked back, hearing a few more laughs from his wife before she replied.

"Deal." She agreed quickly, taking a pause to breathe before continuing on. "...And you think you could pick up a few more things before you come home?"

Her voice was soft, Matt practically able to picture the sly look on her face before he smirked. "Name it." He said without a thought, tapping his foot gently against the ground while waiting for her response.

"I meant to add this to the list, but when I was doing laundry the other day I noticed both girls could use a few new tank tops. And probably some more underwear, and socks." She listed out, Matt releasing a soft chuckle before he nodded. "And Sof keeps ripping holes into her pajamas…"

"Alright so an all new wardrobe for the girls, got it." He teased, hearing her scoff before she pushed back.

"So funny." She deadpanned, Matt's smile widening once more.

"I know… Do you need anything else?" He asked her, noticing some movement out of the corner of his eye. When he looked up, he found another father walking into the aisle, Matt soon moving himself back to get out of this man's way before Gabby's voice came through the phone.

"Hmm… Well, your wife wouldn't be opposed to some flowers. And maybe chocolate." She replied, Matt scoffing lightly in response. "Yeah, definitely chocolate. The baby definitely wants some chocolate."

"Oh, so this is Lily now?" He asked lightly. "You wouldn't be blaming our daughter for this, would you?"

"Me? Never." She replied back, Matt chuckling once more while shaking his head. "Lily just really wants some chocolate."

"Well, if it's what Lily wants…"

"Hi Daddy!" Another smaller voice cut in, Casey grinning when he registered the familiar sound of his oldest daughter. "We miss you!"

"I miss you all too, princess." He spoke back, his tone shifting while he talked to her. "Are you and sissy being good for Momma?"

"We are! We're being so good." She assured him, Matt releasing another laugh while he caught the gaze of the other father now standing a few feet away from him, the man offering him a smile before looking back at the diapers. "So good that I think you should get us chocolate!" Caity added on.

"For Lily, baby." Matt heard Gabby coach her, their interaction making him smirk in amusement.

"Yeah! For Lily!" Caitlyn added on, Casey biting down on his lip before he nodded.

"Wow… it sounds like Lily really wants some chocolate, huh?"

"She does! She wants chocolate so bad." Caitlyn repeated.

"Choc-lat!" Matt heard Sofia repeat brightly.

"Yeah! Chocolate… So can you get Lily some chocolate? And maybe enough for all of us to have some?" Caitlyn asked slyly, Matt chuckling deeply before he nodded, knowing there was no way he could deny his babies' request. Though he never would've denied Gabby's, either.

"Enough chocolate for all of you? Wow, let's see… I think I can do that, baby." He told her, hearing the almost immediate cheering on the other end of the line before Caitlyn's voice broke through.

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, princess. Do you all need anything else?" He checked one last time, going over in his head the new list Gabby had given him while he was met with silence on the other line, Matt figuring that his eldest daughter was taking the time to check with her mom before responding.

"No, that's all! Thank you for the chocolate!" She replied happily.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I'll see you all soon, okay?"

"Okay Daddy, see you soon. Be safe."

"Dada bye!" Sofia added on, Matt grinning from ear to ear while listening to his girls.

"Bye babies, and say bye to your Momma for me." He told them, the family exchanging a few more goodbyes before he was able to hang up the phone, though the smile still had yet to leave his face even after returning the device to his pocket.

"...I take it you're not a first time dad?"

Casey glanced up when he heard the man in the aisle with him speak, finding a soft and approachable look waiting for him while he surveyed all his options, Matt unable to stop his grin from widening before slowly starting to shake his head.

"Definitely not." Casey responded with a laugh. "I've got two little girls at home, and another on the way." He explained, seeing the man blow out a soft breath before smiling.

"Wow, so you're really outnumbered there, aren't you?" He asked lightheartedly, earning a knowing look from Matt.

"Just a little bit, but I love it. Wouldn't want it any other way." Matt replied easily, the two of them smiling before Casey glanced down towards the man's cart, seeing a good bit of baby items in his possession as well. "...You have a little girl, too?"

"Soon." He said back, Matt noticing the way he was unable to stop his face from lighting up. "My wife is due next week with our first."

"Wow, that's… Congratulations. To the both of you." Casey told him genuinely. "There's nothing like it."

"Yeah, we're so excited. Nervous, but excited." He admitted.

"Eh, you'll do great." Matt assured him. "It can be hard some days, but so worth it. Being a parent, especially with your partner… It's the greatest thing in the world."

The man took in his words before slowly starting to nod. "Thank you… And congrats to you, on your baby. All of them." He said, Matt releasing a quiet laugh before nodding.

"Thank you." He replied back, the two men sharing one last understanding look just as Casey's phone started to buzz once more. Though before even pulling it out, he had a good idea of who was calling him, his suspicions soon proven correct when he got his phone and saw Gabby's contact staring back at him yet again.

"Your wife again?" The man asked, Matt smiling before answering the call.

"Or our girls." He said as he lifted the phone back up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Daddy!" Caitlyn's voice came through first, loud enough for both of them to hear as the new father let out a laugh and gave Matt a nod, before grabbing his things and heading out of the aisle, leaving Casey alone once more.

"Hi baby." He greeted her with a chuckle.

"Hi Daddy!" She beamed.

"Did you or Momma remember something?"

"No… but I was talking to baby Lily, and she said she wanted pizza too!" She rambled out, Casey swallowing back a chuckle before pursing his lips together in amusement.

"Oh she does?"

"Mhmm! Baby sissy wants some pizza for lunch. Can you get it for us- I mean her." She covered, Matt running his tongue along the inside of her cheek before he smiled.

"Well, I think that can be arranged. I can bring you all some pizza."

"Thank you, Daddy." Caitlyn said back happily.

"You're welcome, sweetie. I'll get home as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay, see you soon. We love you!"

"I love you all, too… Bye baby." He said, the two giving one another a couple more heartfelt goodbyes before hanging up for the second time, Matt not wasting any time in continuing on through the store in order to get back home to his girls.

The sound of the television was the first thing Matt heard when he came in through the front door, the man skillfully carrying all the bags in his grasp along with the two pizzas he'd gotten for his family, the loud children's music soon accompanied by the sound of his girls' laughter as he moved further inside. After getting the door shut behind him, he was able to take in more of what he'd walked into, Matt cocking his head to the side while he looked around his living room.

His girls were chasing each other around, Caitlyn still in her pajamas while Sofia was dressed a little differently than she'd been when he left, his youngest now down to nothing but a t-shirt as Caity chased her around the room. But as his daughters continued to play, he couldn't help but notice his wife, who was currently sitting down on their floor cleaning something off the couch. And after a few seconds, given Gabby's actions and Sofia's current state of undress, it didn't take him long to put together what had happened, Casey blowing out a soft sigh before continuing further into their home.

"I'm back." He called out while moving over towards Gabby, not liking the sight of his heavily pregnant wife in the position she was in.

"Dada!" Sofia screeched, the two year old being the first one to turn towards him before Caitlyn soon followed suit.

"Daddy!"

"Hi angels… hi baby." Matt greeted, turning his attention to Gabby as he got over towards the coffee table, Casey placing the pizza down before resting their groceries onto the floor.

"Hey babe." Gabby responded with a soft sigh, earning a frown from her husband when he heard the evident exhaustion in her voice.

"What happened here?" He asked her, as Caitlyn and Sofia hurried over to him, each girl grabbing a leg as they hugged him. Something he soon reciprocated.

"Sof went potty on the couch." Caitlyn answered his question, Gabby glancing back towards him to the best of her ability before nodding in agreement.

"She had an accident." She confirmed, Matt letting out a soft sigh before looking down at their toddler, who was mindlessly smiling up at him.

"Oh no, what happened baby?" He questioned somewhat rhetorically, rubbing over her back before both girls began to pull away from him, the smell of the pizza enticing them. But Casey didn't mind so much, as it gave him the chance to get over towards Gabby.

"Yeah, I'm really not sure what happened." Gabby answered for her while Matt came up behind her, as she continued to gently scrub against the couch. "We were all watching TV, and Sof just… went to the bathroom. Didn't say anything, she didn't even act like she had to go."

Matt drew in a deep breath, taking in Gabby's words before glancing back towards Sofia, who was watching Caitlyn intently as the six year old tried to figure out how to break into the pizza box. While Sofia was still young, she hadn't had an accident like this in a while. Not without any warning at least, her bathroom accidents now few and far between. But with that came the understanding that she was still figuring all this out, and things like this would happen. Though with her third birthday soon approaching, both parents hoped it was something she would grow out of when she was ready, Casey shaking his head a bit before reaching out to run his hand along Gabby's back.

"You should let me clean that up, babe." He responded, shifting his focus back to his wife as now his main concern was getting her up and off the floor.

"It's okay, I don't mind… Took me forever to get down here, though." She huffed out, causing Matt to bite back a grin as she took one last swipe at the couch before placing the rag down. "And I think I got it all anyway. Sof's clothes, on the other hand… I still need to get those in the wash, and clean her up."

"Let me do it." Matt replied seconds later while Gabby shifted her weight until her legs were straight out in front of her, the position telling Casey that she was ready to get up off the floor. With his help, of course. "I can get her cleaned up, you just stay here and relax. But first, let's get you up."

"Yeah, you might be too tired to take care of Sof after lifting me up off this floor." She joked, Matt shaking his head lightly while hooking his forearms underneath her arms, giving him good leverage before he slowly began to lift her.

He was supporting almost all over her weight, but even with her expanding belly it was nothing to him, Matt making sure she was securely on her feet before slowly dropping his arms. "Nah, I'm good… Not tired at all. It was like lifting a feather." He told her, Gabby releasing a laugh before she turned her body to face him.

Due to her stomach they both had to adjust their positioning, but neither of them minded, Matt letting his hand rub along her arm as their eyes met.

"Yeah, now I know you're full of it. But thank you." She responded, Matt grinning her way before he pressed a kiss against her head.

"Anytime… Now, I'll get the rest of this cleaned up, and take care of Sofia. You and Caity can stay here and enjoy lunch." He told her, glancing back to see that their girls had finally made their way into one of the pizza boxes and were now already enjoying their meal, Caitlyn working on one piece of pizza while Sofia seemed to be enjoying picking up one and taking a bite, before tossing it back down and choosing another.

"You sure you don't mind?" She checked, Matt immediately shaking his head after letting out a soft laugh at their daughter's antics.

"Not at all… As long as I take a piece of pizza with me when I get Sof, I should be good." He told her with a grin, Gabby chuckling in response before regaining her husband's gaze. "You wanna eat over here, or at the table?"

"Table's good… at least until the pee smell goes away." She said, her nose scrunching up when she spoke.

"Yeah, probably a good choice." He said back, giving her one last kiss before returning his attention to their daughters. "Alright my little monsters, how about we go over to the table before we eat anymore, yeah?" Matt told them, seeing Sofia already covered in pizza while Caity was able to handle her food a little better.

"Okay Daddy." Caitlyn responded, placing her food down before running over to the table, while Sofia simply kept hers in her grasp. But she wasn't able to get too far before Matt scooped her up, grabbing ahold of her and the food so she wouldn't drop it as loud giggles left her mouth.

"Yeah, you and I are gonna go do something else Sof, while Momma and Caity have lunch. We've gotta get you cleaned up." He told her, hearing her continue to giggle while he rested her weight against his side.

"Uh oh, Daddy got Sof." Caity spoke through her own laughter, Gabby watching on in amusement before she grabbed the pizza boxes and slowly began to waddle her way towards their kitchen table. "Daddy got Sof!"

"I did, I did get Sof." He repeated before peppering the toddler's face and neck with kisses, Sofia screeching out of pure joy while grabbing ahold of his shirt. She was sure to be getting pizza and grease all over him, but Matt didn't care one bit as these memories with his family were worth it. "And now Sof and I are gonna go wash up, but we'll be back." He continued on, holding out the pizza for Sofia to take another small bite before moving closer to his and Gabby's bedroom. "You two good out here?" He checked, looking towards Caity to find her already perched up in her usual seat at the table, while Gabby placed the food down in front of her.

"We're good, babe." She assured him, Matt offering her one last smile before he disappeared into their bedroom, the sound of Sofia's giggles continuing to filter through the house as he got into their bathroom, Casey content to help get his little girl cleaned up before the two of them could go and rejoin the rest of their family out in the living room, where they were sure to spend the rest of their day doing what they loved best.

And that was being together.